Development of language tourism in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo-Méxic, from 1997 to 2023
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Abstract
Worldwide, the Spanish language is a tourist attraction that promotes local development through providers of teaching services of Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL); nevertheless, the characteristics of such services and its providers in Quintana Roo, Mexico, are unknown. The aim is to analyze the origin, evolution, and present of the teaching of SFL in companies in Playa del Carmen (PDC). This exploratory and retrospective research obtained the information through semi-structured interviews, participant observation and documentary search. The business activity of teaching of SFL in PDC began in 1997 and made up 100% by micro-businesses, but later it gradually moved towards a market integrated by transnational corporations (40%) and micro-businesses (60%). These companies mainly offer intensive SFL courses and complementary services such as: accommodation with families; dance and cooking classes, and excursions. The influx of students has a different seasonality than conventional tourism and their average stay (three weeks) triples that of general tourism. Albeit some results coincide with those reported about other contexts, it is necessary to know elements such as the socioeconomic profile and consumer behavior of idiomatic tourists in PDC and, if they foster the local development, then consider promoting that segment within the tourism diversification strategies.
Keywords: linguistic tourism; cultural tourism; social history; intangible cultural heritage; local development; sustainable tourism; teaching foreing language; Playa del Carmen.
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